Home Sweet Home
by courvoisierandapeppermintstick
Summary: One shot. In the quest for more space and more time together, Sebastian and Blaine move out the heart of the city… with a little help from their friends. "Eight years of marriage, four stints on Broadway, three city tours, god knows how many legal cases and one baby - it builds up."


**Disclaimer**: I don't own Glee or the characters – I just play with the from time to time : )

Written for the 3rd prompt in 2013's Seblaine Week on tumblr.

**Home Sweet Home **

"There is so much space in here after our apartment," said Blaine as he carried another box into his and Sebastian's new bedroom, yawning as he did so.

It was only quarter to eleven in the morning and already he was exhausted. The last twenty four hours had been completely insane. The move had seemed so far away just a week before hand…. then suddenly, Blaine had woken up yesterday morning, realised how much he and Seb still had to do, to pack and to arrange… true, they had only moved twenty minutes out of the city, but it had still been a hectic job.

Needless to say, the only choice they had was to enlist the nearest Warblers to help them pack up… yet even when the majority of them had left just before midnight, the two of them had had to keep going.

While Sebastian was running of five hours sleep, Blaine had had to make do with three. Still, they had got through the day on less.

"There will be once everything has its proper place," Seb said as he sat on the bed.

"Are you going to help me?"

"Depends, what with?

"Bastian -"

"Killer -"

Blaine rolled his eyes, put the box down and sat by Seb's side, interlacing their fingers as he took his husbands hand. "The removal men are nearly done, they reckon they'll be out of here by midday - then it is just us until the others come over."

"Did Wes say what time that would be?" Sebastian asked.

"No - only that after the way we broke their backs yesterday, they were not going to be rushing over today…" Blaine sniggered

"I suppose that is fair."

There was a peaceful silence between them - a contentedness of both men. The new house was a new start. A beginning of a new chapter…

"Right, I am going to go make a coffee, and then we had better get back to it."

"Or, we could really get back to it," suggested Sebastian, putting his hand over his husband's chest and pushing him back on the bed, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"As tempting as that is, and it really is, Seb - we have to find cutlery to feed the troops tonight and get at least one room in this house straight." Blaine told him.

That, Seb could agree with.

Their lips met and lingered, a smile playing on both of their faces as Sebastian stroked his killers chest gently with his thumb, before they got up and got back to work.

X X X

"I had no idea that we had so much stuff," Sebastian mused as he looked into the lounge, which, six hours later was still full to the brim with unpacked boxes.

"Eight years of marriage, four stints on Broadway, three city tours, god knows how many legal cases and one baby - it builds up."

"Well, when you put it like that, killer," Sebastian sighed.

While the lounge was set off on its own, the dining room and kitchen space was open plan, giving it a rather light and airy feel. Whereas the kitchen had been quite cluttered in the apartment by the end, both of them had decided that they had more than enough storage to keep the new kitchen more minimalistic. That was the idea any way - who knew if it was going to work. Either way, it'd be the setting for that night's dinner for the two of them, plus seven other Warblers and the two halves.

From the kitchen, the pair had a brilliant view of the large garden which was going to get plenty of use over the coming summer, for cook outs and long, lazy afternoons. Both of them had agreed to cut down on their work that year… ten years of unrelenting contracts and cases had left the actor and the lawyer financially secure enough to enjoy this period…

Yes. They would be very happy here.

It was then Blaine's phone rang.

"Hello… yeah, we're ready for you all now, come over…. just about… Wes, thank you so much, that'd be awesome. Hope last night wasn't too bad… yeah, well… did she? Good. Ok. Thanks again… see you soon," he ended the call. "The boys are coming now, getting pizza on the way. Marie slept through last night, though I could hear her moaning in the back ground."

"Well, it was her first night away from me; she must have found it tough."

"Us, Seb," Blaine shook his head. "Her first night away from us."

"Wasn't that was I said?"

The two of them traced up the stairs to the nursery. If there had been one room the two had wanted finished that day, or at least ensure it was useable, it had been Marie's room. She was going to be unsettled enough without sleeping in a room where all her toys and familiar objects were absent.

Appropriately, the room was a soft shade of lavender (neither of her parents believed that just because they had had a baby girl, her room should be pink - in fact, Sebastian had been adamantly, almost vehemently, against the idea) that somehow went quite well with the lemon curtains from the nursery at the apartment. It was about the only room they did not plan on painting. Marie's crib was set up, her changing table too, and having ensured every box of hers had been marked, Blaine was certain that nothing was absent. They still had clothes to sort out, but there was nothing their daughter was going to miss still packed away. A meagre of cuddly toys sat on the only shelf in the room.

Both had a quick wash and change of clothes, Blaine made sure there were enough beers in the fridge for them all to get a cold one while Sebastian warmed some plates in the oven, which he had just about managed to get working. A character property in a nice little area had been a lovely idea… but it was a project at the same time.

"We are having takeaway pizza; no one is going to care about hot plates, 'Bastian."

"You may take pride in being a heathen, killer, I do not. And I am trying to raise a proper young lady."

"She's eight months old! She really won't pick up on whether a plate she won't even use is hot."

"Well, on the off chance that she -"

The argument was cut short by a knock on the door, announcing the arrival of the Warblers.

Upon opening it, Blaine found himself looking into the face of young Nathan Sterling-Duval.

"What's up, Uncle Blaine?"

"Hey buddy, come on in. You got that soda?" he asked, noting that it was quite a bottle for the five year old.

"Got it!" he confirmed as he rushed past Sebastian (who ruffled his hair in greeting) into the kitchen.

Following him, his parents, Jeff and Nick were carrying the pizzas as if they were newborns. Seb and Blaine shared a smile, both remembering how much the other pair had loved pizza back in the Dalton days. Trent came in next, carrying two rather good bottles of red wine, for which Seb gave genuine thanks. Hunter's gift of a toaster, kettle and potted plant were all but disregarded by his fellow ex captain ('we rarely have breakfast, have a coffee machine as well as a baby who is soon to be toddler - what use are any of those gifts?'). Thad was the next up the drive way, emptied handed and making no apologies for it.

"Oh dear," sighed Blaine as he and Sebastian heard a well known cry at the end of the drive. "I'd better go."

The shorter of the couple left the front doorway and headed in the direction of the screaming to find David hanging back on the pavement, Marie's over night and dipper bag over his shoulder, while Wes attempted to lift the child from the car seat.

"I've been trying to get her to go off all day - she just went to sleep as we met the others at the pizza place, and I tried to get her out the car without waking her back up but as you can hear -"

Blaine could not hide his amusement. He knew Wes took his responsibility as godfather to Marie seriously, and had been overjoyed when they had asked him to take her for the night. He was obviously distressed that he could not settle her on his own, but Marie… well, on a good day, the majority of days in fact; she was as quiet as a mouse, a placid, happy baby girl. On a bad day though, she was nothing short of a diva already.

And she had just hit the age when not just anyone could cuddle her anymore. Very much like Sebastian, she was picky apparently.

"I got this," Blaine said as Wes surrendered and allowed the little girl's father to take his place. "Hey sweetie pie."

One look at his baby, and Blaine was overcome by pity, and guilt somewhat. Yes, Marie could be temperamental when she was grisly. Yes, she was awful when she had just been woken up. But this - the look on her face in that moment, it was something different.

It had been near eighteen hours since she had last been with him or Sebastian, which had to be an extraordinarily long time in her eyes -she was normally always with one or the other of her fathers, on account of the fact both Blaine and Seb had cut down working and changed their schedules utterly since the day she was born. True, she knew Wes and David fairly well and had been to their place more than once. But he could see why she was a little freaked out by it all… the added factor that she had not had her nap was not going to make things any easier…

However, when he saw there were real tears pouring down her cheeks, that was when he knew she really wasn't happy. She stopped crying the moment he spoke, her eyes flashing in recognition at the mere sight of his face. Was that relief he saw?

"Here she is," he beamed in the sing song voice he always did when she had just woken up. Apparently, it was not buying him any credit that day though. He had had enough time to get her out the car seat, but once more she begun to howl as he cuddled her to his chest.

"Oh sweetie, has Uncle Wes been torturing you again?" Blaine teased.

"Blaine, I tried everything!"

Blaine stifled a laugh as he kissed his daughter forehead trying to calm her.

"What's happened, hey?" he cooed over the eight month old. "Honey, it sounds awful!"

David locked the car, and together, the three walked towards the house.

"She was fine last night, and was even pretty good this morning…" David explained. "But about two, she just turned. Tired, I suppose."

Wes nodded. "It made us feel awful, her craning her little neck every time one of came in the room."

"I know who she wanted," Blaine's sighed, as Marie at last begun to calm down, though she continued to quiver in her father's arms. "Seb - she is such a little daddy's girl when it comes to him."

"Let's be honest - she'd have a hard time being a mama's girl."

The four entered the house to find it a hive of activity. Assorted chairs had been found and crowded round the fair sized circular table which dominated the dining area. Beers were being handed round to everyone who was not a designated driver, Sebastian was dealing the plates out, and Nathan was attempting to pour the soda.

"You're going to spill it," Nick warned. Blaine did not need to have been the house to know what argument had just taken place. Nick and Jeff had insisted the bottle was too heavy, their son had insisted it wasn't, and now they were letting him try it to prove their point.

"No, I won't - opps -"

"Can we have a clothe over here please?" Jeff asked.

"Here you are," Sebastian said as he brought one over. Once he had passed it to his old classmate, he crossed back to Blaine and the now obviously over tired Marie, who was rubbing her eyes in frustration. "Hello pickle, how are you doing?" he asked.

Wes watched his godchild and what Blaine said was instantly backed up. As soon as Sebastian spoke, his daughter instantly started looking for him, and once she had found him, became instantly fussy to be passed to her daddy. Wes could see why Sebastian loved to be his child so much: she looked at him, and Blaine, now he came to think of it, like they were the centre of the universe, and if there was one thing Smythe would never say no to it was an ego boost.

Sebastian sighed as he looked at Marie. The fact that she was (but so obviously wasn't) his daughter filled him with sheer love and affection. The day she had been born last winter when their surrogate had gone into labour, he and Blaine had rushed to the hospital to find a newborn baby girl with masses of black curly hair and hazel eyes. Neither of them had commented upon it, though Seb had been tempted to once or twice when others had made comments about how apparently, 'she had his nose.' Somehow, he doubted it. This child was all Blaine and he prayed she would grow up with her father's sunny disposition, his swift forgiving nature and his charm…

None of which were in evidence that day.

Reaching for the bottle of milk he had warmed through while Blaine had fetched her in from the car, he offered it to his partner.

"Do you want to or -"

Blaine shook his head, knowing now that Marie knew her other daddy was near, she wasn't going to settle for him.

"Take her -" he told Seb - the scent of the pizza wafting in to his nostrils had made his stomach rumble. He got pizza; Marie got a cuddle with Sebastian. Everyone was a winner.

"Ok, pickle, shh," sigh Seb as the pair transferred her from Blaine's arms to his with ease, the nerves of the first weeks of fatherhood long gone for both of them. "You're ok." As he went over to one of the few spare chairs and sat down, he was glad the only one remaining for Blaine was next to him.

This was the best way to begin life in the new house - with his daughter in his arms, his husband at his side and friends in abundance. This was the life Sebastian Smythe loved.

Blaine, too, felt utterly relaxed at that moment as he chose a slice of Vegetable Supreme to begin with… there was something about seeing the man he loved tend their child that soothed him. Not even two years had gone by since Sebastian had, in passing one Sunday morning, quite casually mentioned that he wanted the two of them to become a family… a statement he had had to repeat more than once for Blaine to be convinced he had heard him right.

They had, at that point, lived together for just over a decade, near Seb's law firm. Blaine's acting career had taken off before he had even graduated from NAYDA, though he had chosen stay on the stage work above the movies offers.

"I just hate the thought of losing all my anonymity," he had answered when Sebastian had asked him why he was so desperate to stay out of Hollywood.

However, looking back, Blaine wondered if the reason for Seb's declaration had been that while they were very much in love and registered at the same address - they had not really been what one might call, 'living together.' Dates nights had to be pencilled in to their heavy schedules to ensure they made time for one another - date nights which inevitably ended in the two of them going back to a fancy hotel, with nice big shower rooms…

But the apartment had been a stop gap. A store room… not really a home.

And between court cases, matinees and evening shows - they never had time to be there together.

That Sunday morning had changed everything. "A baby? Like a living, breathing child who relies on us for everything?" Blaine had questioned.

"Well, that's what I was thinking."

"Who pops, and makes mess and grows out of their clothes every other week?"

"Optionally one who doesn't poo, but if there are none available, I will accept one who does."

It had taken Blaine all of an hour to be convinced. Having assumed fatherhood was something Sebastian would not be interested in; he had put his own desire for a family to the back of his mind. He'd rather be with the right man than the wrong one, just to go on to bring a baby into the world and divorce bitterly two years later… as it turned out, he really could have it all.

Blaine had been sure it was going to take some time to arrange, but just over six months later, they had got the call to confirm their little miss was on her way (Seb had found the right surrogate so fast his husband got the distinct impression the search had been going on a little longer than he knew). The contract had been drawn up so tightly that any fears the two of them may have had over any surges of maternal love and protection were waved away, not that made Blaine terribly comfortable. Sebastian was more than able Julie as a means to an end… Blaine had had a harder time with that side of things. Yet, Marie had been the third baby Julie had given away, and the transition was relatively easy…

It was then, after they had brought her back to the apartment that the search for a new place had begun in earnest. It hadn't been big enough for them and the longer their daughter had been there with them, the more it had felt like what it ultimately was - an apartment for a young couple starting out.

Not the young family that they were now.

The rest was history…

Within twenty minutes, much to the wonder of Wes, Marie was as calm as anything, her tiny eyelids fluttering as she continued to fight against sleep, focusing instead of both her fathers. With her head in the crook of Sebastians arm, Marie cuddled into him, soaking up his warmth and affection.

After finishing his meal and opening a beer, Blaine had put his arm round his husband's shoulders, and shook his head at his daughter.

"Go to sleep," he whispered gently, kissing his baby's forehead. "Stubborn little girly. Can't think where she gets that from."

"No," Sebastian shook his head. "Me neither."

"Can we have basketball on, Uncle Bastian?" a small but eager voice drew him out of his thoughts.

"Nathan, we're here to talk, have dinner with our friends. It's very unsociable to watch TV while trying to do that," Jeff explained.

Sebastian passed him the TV remote with a wink. "Knock yourself out, kid."

"Alright!" Nathan beamed. There was a reason Sebastian and Blaine were his favourite Uncles - now he remembered why.

Jeff shook his head at Sebastian. "Thanks for helping out with that teaching moment."

"Any time."

Nick patted his husbands arm. "We'll get our own back," he eyed Marie. "Don't worry dude."

It was not long until Sebastian regretted it though - karma coming back to bite him on the ass. It took Nathan all of half a minute to find his game, and predictably, conversation dried up. Jeff had been right - it was unsociable. But the only other thing the Warblers had loved as much as singing was sport, so it was not long until all eyes were glued to the small box which sat in the corner.

Between hoops being made, it was alright, but when the Buckeyes won, a cheer went up from all of them, with the five year old leading the celebration. As much as the majority didn't like the fact they came from Ohio, they did - and that meant they supported their home state when no one else was watching.

The cries of victory came with no warning for the baby girl sleeping in her father's arms, and so it was not long before the tell tale scream of displeasure fill the room.

Realising too late that he should have taken Marie up the moment she had dropped off, Sebastian cursed himself. He had meant too - but…

Well, he would not even admit to Blaine how odd he had felt the night before knowing someone else had their daughter. He trusted Wes - he knew no harm was going to come to her… but it had not stopped the nagging voice in his head or him missing her. Part of his favourite aspects of fatherhood so far had been the cuddles… another fact he would not admit out loud. Thus, when she had fallen asleep during dinner, he had wanted to keep her with him for a while.

Epic mistake.

"Did see her jump? Bless her…" Trent said sympathetically as Sebastian adjusted his daughter so that she was moaning in to his shoulder. He placed his hand on her supportively on her back as he got up.

"Gonna take her up…" Seb muttered to his husband. Blaine nodded in agreement as their baby continued to protest against the noise her Uncles had made.

"So, do you want a baby brother or sister, Nathan?" Hunter asked sipping some of the wine Trent had brought over the sound of the crying baby.

"Absolutely not."

X x x

"Ok, pickle, it's ok, daddy's here," Sebastian said as he rocked back and forth.

Marie had well and truly had a tantrum, and he was not sure that he blamed her. He was always an arse when he was woken up and being woken up twice in the space of an hour after being abandoned for the night… She was right… that was taking the piss.

Finally, after twenty minutes of frustrated sobs and moaning and nonsense noises, she had calmed enough for Sebastian to attempt to put Marie in her crib.

"Was it horrible being away from me and daddy? Is that why you've been such a pickle for Uncle Wes and Uncle David today?" he asked as he put her mobile on and a soft melody begun to fill the room. Reaching down, he laid his cool hand upon her forehead and stroked his thumb back and forth. Her eyes were thoroughly glazed over, and he knew it would not be much longer before she gave up the fight. "Go to sleep, honey."

"Is she ok?" Blaine asked softly as he came into the room.

Putting his hand on Sebastian's hips, he settled his chin on his husbands shoulder from behind.

"Yeah… took her a little time, but she's ok… just wanted sleep and her daddies."

"I know the feeling…" Blaine teased kissing Seb's neck affectionately.

"Hmm, Killer… How is everyone down stairs?"

"Stuffed and tired. I don't think tonight is going to be a wild one somehow…"

"No - would it be rude to kick them all out now?"

"Probably, but that doesn't usually stop you," Blaine pointed out.

Sebastian let a throaty laugh out as his daughter finally succumbed to sleep.

"Are you coming back down?"

"Just a moment," Sebastian nodded. "I just want to make sure she not going to wake up," he added as he tucked her blanket tighter about her and placed her teddy next to her.

"You spoil her."

"Yes, killer - and so do you."

Their eyes met as Blaine made to leave the room.

"Who'd have thought we would have ended up like this when I walked in on you and Nick singing 'Uptown Girl'?"

"Me, Blaine. That's who."

X x x

In spite of making it to bed by eleven, Sebastian woke late the next day… later than he had in months. He found there was nothing on his mind. He was on a complete two week vacation from the law firm… the move was essentially completed…and there was not a cloud in the sky.

Opening his eyes, he rolled over. He was not surprised to see that he and Blaine were not the only ones in the bed. No doubt Marie had been up at seven, but if the empty bottle on the bed side table was any indication, Blaine had not wanted her to be. Both of them knew that a warm bottle of milk and a cuddle was the trick to a lie in… Three hours later, Marie was lying on top of Blaine's chest as the two of them dozed on, nuzzled contently into her father.

Shifting over the bed, Sebastian put his head on his edge of husbands pillow, his hand protectively on his baby's back and shut his eyes as Blaine unconsciously moved towards him in return.

They had nowhere to go; nowhere to be and all the time in the world.

**Please review!**


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